Squirrels eat almost anything humans give them, which includes fruit. Since squirrels need sugar to survive, they eat fruits like bananas that provide them with the energy they need.
It is not recommended that squirrels consume bananas, even though they have many vitamins and minerals. Bananas contain more sugar than small animals like squirrels can handle, and too much sugar may result in health issues.
One or two slices of banana a day is a reasonable serving of banana for your pet squirrel.
This article has been reviewed by Dr. Linda. Read more about our knowledge control process here.
Contents
Do Squirrels Eat Bananas? Are Banana Peels Good For Squirrels?
Banana peels don’t belong to squirrels’ natural diet, but they are edible and rich in nutrients; they can benefit from eating peels.
Yet banana peels contain more cellulose, which neither humans nor animals can digest. The only animals that can digest cellulose are sheep, horses, and goats because their intestinal bacteria produce cellulase, an enzyme that works on the substance.
A banana peel also contains high levels of pesticides (except for organic bananas). Squirrels can be negatively affected by pesticides if they consume them, causing hormonal differences, infertility, and behavioral changes.
It is probable that consuming banana peels will not harm squirrels. However, they won’t taste as good as bananas. The squirrel is unlikely to eat the peel, therefore.
Are Bananas Healthy For Squirrels?
Yes, bananas are good for squirrels, but only in small quantities. Safety and tolerability are concerns for squirrels due to bananas’ sugar content.
Despite being rich in vitamins and minerals, bananas are not good for squirrels. Squirrels cannot handle bananas’ high sugar content; too much sugar will cause health problems. It is okay to feed your pet squirrel a banana in moderation – one to two slices every day.
Other Foods For Squirrels Besides Banana
A squirrel is an omnivorous rodent, so it eats anything and everything: bugs, cheese, bread, even melon. It goes on and on. Nevertheless, they often eat things that aren’t so good for them.
Consider the case where you do not have a pet squirrel (taming wild squirrels is not a recommended practice). Is there anything you can leave out for your local squirrels to eat? Here we will discuss what you can feed squirrels, but be sure to read the following section about what you should avoid. You may be surprised!
Nuts
Squirrels eat nuts for food as a part of their diet, which they enjoy. If you know where to look, you can efficiently forage some of the best nuts for squirrels.
If you want a nut in its shell, always choose one that is still sealed. Healthy teeth are promoted as a result of this.
Aside from that, avoid adding salt or sugar to nuts. Having too much sugar or salt in nuts can be harmful to squirrels.
Vegetables
Vegetables provide nutrients that other foods do not. It’s not rare to find squirrels raiding backyards for kale, tomatoes, beets, beans, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, asparagus, spinach, and lettuce. Digging up roots is also a favorite pastime for them.
Cereals
Grain and nut cereals are a favorite of squirrels. Its high nutritional content and sugar content keep its energy high. They particularly enjoy shredded wheat, cornflakes, and grape nuts. The squirrels don’t usually eat them; they only eat when there is a shortage of food.
Insects
During times of shortage of nuts and fruits, squirrels eat caterpillars, larvae, insects, grasshoppers, injured butterflies, and crickets.
Fruits
It’s no secret that squirrels love fruit. There’s no doubt about it. If eaten moderately, it is both delicious and sweet. Squirrels have a tendency to overeat fruit since it is so sweet. No matter how naturally derived, their bodies simply can’t handle a lot of sugar.
It is more than enough for a squirrel to eat a few Fruit Slices a day. Do not put out treats more than once a week for squirrels. It’s best to avoid pits and seeds.
You can feed these fruits to squirrels:
- Bananas
- Grapes
- Berries
- Mango
- Apple
- Melons
- Peaches
Providing sugary foods sparingly is a good way to reduce diabetes. You can give squirrels virtually any kind of fresh fruit, and they’ll gladly eat it!
Foods That Are Bad For Squirrels
If you like feeding squirrels, be sure to use food that isn’t harmful. There are two main concerns when it comes to feeding squirrels: filling them up with foods with little or no nutritional value or feeding them foods that may be harmful.
Peanuts
Squirrels are not supposed to eat peanuts, even though the rodents love them so much. Nuts and peanuts are not the same things; peanuts are legumes. You can feed squirrels peanuts occasionally as a snack to keep their diet varied, but peanuts have little nutritional value for squirrels.
Junk Food
Snacks that are salty or sweet are included. Similar to humans, they are empty calories. Salt is also very harmful to squirrels, whereas sugar acts more like a toxin on children. Squirrels are naturally hyper, and sugar increases their excitement levels which is detrimental to their health. Squirrels’ natural diet, including junk food such as pizza and hot dogs, is unfavorable.
Corn
There is no harm in giving a squirrel a little corn piece by piece, but never a whole kernel as squirrels often overeat, even to death. Additionally, corn will turn sour and grow mold quickly, so make sure you feed only good corn. Sour or moldy corn can be toxic to squirrels.
Animal or Human Formula
The USDA suggests feeding squirrels kitten, puppy, or baby formula, but this can be extremely harmful to squirrels. Squirrels can die from consuming animal- or human-friendly formulas.
Preservatives and rare chemical additives found in these formulas cause sudden death, nervousness, seizures, conversions in squirrels and rickets.
It is more that these milks are not nutritionally tailored to squirrels
Summing Up
There is a misconception that squirrels eat only nuts and seeds. While they consume most of their food from plants, they also eat animal products. But, one should take care of the food they are feeding their pet. We are mentioning all the items to be and not to feed your squirrels. I hope it helps!
